Sharon Horgan has admitted she regrets not ending her marriage earlier as ‘it was so clear that it wasn’t right’.

The Irish actress, 52, tied the knot with Jeremy Rainbird back in 2005, staying with the businessman for 14 years until they split in 2019.

And the Motherland and Bad Sisters creator revealed the only thing she rues about her divorce was that it did not happen sooner after she stuck with her husband for a long time despite the relationship not working.

The creator of a string of hit relationship-based series such as Pulling, Catastrophe and Divorce told the How to Fail podcast: ‘I guess it was one of those things that was a long time coming. 

‘And I feel like it’s weirdly connected to confidence as well, or also that thing of what you should do versus what your body tells you and your brain tells you that you ought to do.

‘It’s like the Catastrophe story. We got together, we had a baby, and we made it work for a long time. We had another baby, and he was involved in the business. But there came a point where it was so clear that it wasn’t right for either of us.

Sharon Horgan has admitted she regrets not ending her marriage earlier as ‘it was so clear that it wasn’t right’ 

The Irish actress, 52, tied the knot with businessman Jeremy Rainbird back in 2005 and the pair (pictured, in 2016) were married for 14 years until they split in 2019

‘I don’t know whether it’s being slightly a bit Catholic – some of that stuff still being in me was just that idea of not getting divorced. You don’t get divorced. Just stay in it – it’s so much harder to go through all that, to go through a divorce.’

Talking about her current mood on the show, she added: ‘It’s an odd one because I’ve never been happier, but I’m still angry at myself – not really for the failure of the marriage, but for not figuring it out earlier.

‘It’s so destructive. You get one life and that’s an awful lot of time to spend on something that’s not working.

‘I don’t know what kind of conditioning it is that got so in the way of what my instinct was, and what would have been good for everyone. It is being harsh but I feel like I kind of deserve it.

‘So it’s a weird one. Yes it failed, but it had such a positive impact on my life. The stuff that’s less fun is the business of divorce. It’s debilitating, time-consuming, money draining. It’s not fun for anyone.’

Discussing co-parenting her daughters Sadhbh, 21, and Amer, 16, the award-winning writer and actress said: ‘There’s no co-parenting. Just me, it’s just me. It was more like how it impacted when we told the girls. 

‘I have this recurring image of my youngest daughter on her own crying. When she was crying with us we were able to talk and talk it out and explain how it was going to be, but she left and went into another room. That’s going to stay with me forever.

‘What I’d lost sight of was how important it was for them to see a working relationship, a healthy working relationship.

The creator of a string of hit relationship-based series such as Catastrophe and Divorce told the How to Fail podcast: ‘I guess it was one of those things that was a long time coming’

Talking about her current mood on the show, she added: ‘It’s an odd one because I’ve never been happier, but I’m still angry at myself’

Horgan added she was currently seeing someone romantically but did not wish to go into further details.

It comes after she told The Sunday Times in October that her brood is a ‘bit of a circus family’.

She said: ‘It’s tough because it’s just me, but we make it work. It’s a bit of a circus family: my work/life balance had to change, and that’s good.

‘But when I take a job the girls are incredibly encouraging because they know I’d really rather be with them.’

Sharon fell pregnant just six months after meeting Jeremy, and based her Channel 4 drama Catastrophe, starring Rob Delaney, on their experiences.

When the show initially came out she said to the New Yorker: ‘If it wasn’t so hard to get a divorce, I would get a divorce.’

Sharon also spoke about her divorce from her husband last year and how it has ‘changed’ her life, telling Red Magazine she felt ‘scared’ separating at first, but that she is much happier now.

She told the publication: ‘I found it scary at first, but it’s just about learning to do things in a slightly different way.

Divorce starred Sarah Jessica Parker, debuted in 2016, and followed character Frances Dufresne, a married woman who has an affair and starts divorce proceedings with her husband

Sharon loosely based her Channel 4 drama Catastrophe (pictured, with Rob Delaney, right) on her experiences with Jeremy

‘Everything I was relying on another person for, I was then able – for the most part – to teach myself. I’m not saying I don’t have help around me – it’s a big old thing I’m running here – but learning how to do things I was scared of has made my life richer.

Read More Sharon Horgan reveals her brood is a ‘bit of a circus family’

‘I feel more in control and more independent. I certainly feel happier than I have been in the last few years.’

Sharon also went on to speak about the ‘shame’ surrounding divorce, saying it shouldn’t be the case because it can be a life-changing decision.

‘Divorce can be a really helpful, handy thing that can change your life,’ she said. ‘There’s a lot of shame attached to the failure of a relationship, and that shouldn’t be the case.’

While in the past, the actress spoke about the storyline for Catastrophe: ‘That is what happened to me,’ she’s said, ‘so it made sense to write about it.’